Cypress Creek Renewables Solar Project Endorsed by Sierra Club

Madison County, New York: Jan. 8, 2025 – The Sierra Club’s New York Atlantic Chapter has officially endorsed Cypress Creek Renewables’ proposed Oxbow Hill Solar Project, located in the Town of Fenner in Madison County. The Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental organization that works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of communities, and protect the Earth’s ecosystems and resources.

“The Sierra Club understands the need for responsibly designed large-scale solar projects to meet the State’s aggressive climate goals,” said Keith Silliman, Cypress Creek’s director of regulatory compliance. “They understand the need to avoid, minimize and mitigate project impacts in a balanced manner, and that’s what we have done with our Oxbow Hill Project.”

The Club’s endorsement of the Oxbow Hill Solar Project is a significant achievement based on an examination of the project’s qualitative and quantitative attributes. To earn the endorsement, Oxbow Hill underwent a rigorous evaluation to ensure the project satisfies the Sierra Club’s commitment to renewable energy in a manner that preserves nature and provides a just transition that respects communities.

The Club assessed nine specific substantive areas, including impact on wetlands and riparian areas, birds and wildlife, and food production and labor. The evaluation also examined Cypress Creek’s community engagement, relationship with the Laborers International Union Local 190, implications for the tax base, broader community benefits of the project, and consultation with the Oneida Nation.

“We are incredibly proud to have another project meet the high standard of the Sierra Club in New York,” Sarah Slusser, CEO, Cypress Creek Renewables said. “This significant milestone is a result of the care and attention that our team puts into every aspect of the projects that we develop, and we look forward to continuing our work with this great organization in New York and beyond.”

The project received a notice of complete permit application from the New York Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) on November 18, 2024. Cypress Creek anticipates receiving a draft permit from ORES for the Project in mid-January.